What is the chemical process of a hydrogen bomb?

Answer 1

A hydrogen bomb is a series or sequence of events that must take place in a specific order. Only a very small part of that is chemical. Conventional chemical explosives are used as the trigger to begin the sequence. Electrical detonators are activated by an electric current that creates heat in the detonator. That heat causes a small amount of explosive in the detonator to to explode. THAT explosion is chemical- an unstable chemical drops from a high to a lower energy level, giving up heat that creates a shock wave. That shock wave causes another chemical reaction- in the main explosive lenses of the bomb. Those chemical explosives ALSO drop to a lower energy level in a chemical reaction- creating a larger shock wave. That shock wave then physically crushes a mass of plutonium, and begins a NUCLEAR process- where the ultra-dense compressed plutonium undergoes nuclear fission, breaking down into lighter elements, releasing tremendous heat, shock, and free neutrons. That FISSION reaction triggers the next stage, where very light elements such as hydrogen are compressed to the point that they FUSE into heavier elements, liberating a greater amount of energy in the form of heat, blast, and radiation.

Answer 2

A hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb, involves the fusion of hydrogen isotopes (such as deuterium and tritium) to release a tremendous amount of energy. The process begins with a fission explosion (using uranium or plutonium) to create the high temperatures and pressures needed for fusion to occur. This fusion reaction releases even more energy than fission alone, resulting in a much more powerful explosion.